About Filippus
The Filippus Foundation (Filippus Human Aid) was established in 1992 after a visit to the city of Berdychiv, Ukraine. Those who participated in the trip witnessed the great needs in the country. Upon returning home, the Filippus Foundation was founded by Staffan Jonsson, Erik Nordin, Evert Jonsson, Bertil Sjöström, and Micael Jonsson.
During the six months following its establishment, the foundation searched high and low for a bus to transport supplies to Ukraine. Eventually, a postal bus was purchased, enabling the relief efforts.
Since its founding, many trips have been made. Today, the foundation owns a fleet consisting of a bus, three truck tractors, five trailers, and a towable trailer. These vehicles belong to the company Hjälptransporten i Örnsköldsvik AB, a fully owned subsidiary of the foundation.
Membership information
You have the opportunity to support the foundation’s work by becoming a supporting member. As a member, you will regularly receive updates about our activities through our membership newsletter.
By becoming a member, you show that you believe in the long-term work that Filippus carries out in Ukraine – and that you want to support it.
Who receives the aid?
The foundation organizes trips for interested individuals to participate in aid transports. Currently, there are two different destinations that travelers have the opportunity to visit. One area is located in the central part of Ukraine and focuses on the town of Berdychiv with surrounding villages and communities. The other area is in the Carpathian Mountains, a mountainous region in the southwestern part of Ukraine. The main town here is Mukachevo with several surrounding mountain villages.
Our operations primarily target locations with significant needs for assistance in Lutsk, Charkiv, Mucachevo, Berdichev in Ukraine and Oradea in Romania.
Swedish Helpcentre in Lutsk
The camp facility in Lutsk has been under Filippus’ management since the early 2000s. The property was originally built during the communist era in the 1960s and was in poor condition when it was purchased.
Sergei Porokhnavets (our interpreter and colleague since 1996) manages the facility and now lives there with his family. The camp has been frequently used by various organizations and churches for gatherings and camps, primarily for children and young people.
One thing that was missing was a meeting hall/church on the premises. During Filippus’ 100th journey, the travelers, together with Sergei, began discussing whether it would be possible to construct one. Incredibly, just one year later, the church and meeting hall were completed. Absolutely amazing!
The area, known as the Swedish Help centre, has developed over the years and is now, in addition to being a camp facility, a key hub for all our aid transports. Shipments of aid are unloaded at the site, then reloaded and transported further across Ukraine.
The Swedish Help centre also receives aid shipments from other organizations—not only from Sweden but from around the world.
The center is run by Filippus and Sergei Porokhnavets, who works on-site.
Currently, the facility is fully booked with camps during the summer months. Many children and young people from the Kharkiv region get the opportunity to attend camp—far away from the war front in the east.
Second-hand market and café
Filippus gratefully accepts donations in the form of clothing, which we transport to Ukraine, items that we can sell through our second-hand market in central Örnsköldsvik, and monetary donations.
At our second-hand market, you can shop for home decor and sit down for some coffee and pastries.
Contact us
Filippus Human Aid
Bertil Sjöström
Fabriksgatan 23C
891 33 Örnsköldsvik
+46 70-537 91 54 or +46 70-377 81 40
bertil@filippus.se
Second-hand market Örnsköldsvik
Ann-Christin Hamberg
+46 70-235 42 72
Clothing collection in Ullånger
Eva Bylund
+46 73-046 55 30
Clothing collection in Ljustorp
Per Nygren
+46 76-104 84 00